A Muse's Light
(This story was written by Muse and posted on the Utopia Skye forums on September 1, 2005. It takes place after Atropo - The huntress seeking her prey, Silore's Tale, Recent Events - An Entry in Nita's Journal, and Shadow and Light: A Warlock's Vengeance.) ---- The moon dipped deep in to the onyx night kissing the stars with rays of magic. Stillness prevailed save for the fluttering of birds wings as they shifted from branch to branch in play. Where the night sky became one with the silver radiating pool, the light of the moon waxed even brighter on the solitary figure. Water ripples radiated out from the form even as no sound was made in the splashing it made. Quietly it slipped under the water speeding like a silent silvery arrow towards the green shore. Looking in the direction it was heading, one might observe what seemed to be a pile of rags laying on the green earth. In even closer scrutiny, one might see the sleeping kitten its tail wrapped around its body keeping warm in the cooling air laying atop those rags. As if on cue, it raised its Siamese head the piercing blue eyes blinking as it watched the figure approach. Yawning making no more than a soft mewling noise; it lowered its head back onto the clothing preferring to keep warm among the materials even as it knew it would have to get up soon. Reaching the edge of the water the figure, a small sea lion with strange markings on it’s back paused. The whiskers on either side of it’s nose twitched as it glanced at the sleeping cat. The cat raised its head again staring at the sea lion its blue eyes penetrating its gaze with an icy one of it’s own. A communication seemed to be taking place. One in which mischievous play was being thwarted by the cat. The cat made an almost visible frown to the sea lion to which the sea lion made a chuffing sound resigning itself to not splashing the kitten, but instead turned looking out over the water again. The sea lion scrunched its eyes shut and drew its body tightly close holding all limbs to its chest. Swirling smoke filled the area and with a soft whooshing sound the smoke produced a night elf as it dissipated in the breeze that picked up momentarily. Silore stayed in the water a moment longer her feet kicking underwater to stay afloat, her white hair fanned out behind her. Gazing upward at the moon she smiled to herself and turned around stepping out of the water as she reached the shore. Moonlight cascaded over her pale skin glistening with drops of spring water. She reached down shooing the cat with a soft “shoo” to which the cat yawned and stretched before getting off her clothing. Smiling at the Siamese Silore spoke whispering “you’ll be the death of me Kyrula”. She smiled at the Siamese cat and gently patted its head before standing up to slide the dress over her head. The dress, a simple black number had been a gift to her in her younger days. Never imagining she would have a need, or a desire such as she did now, to wear black… Silore was glad she hadn’t let this dress out of her grasp as these days black was her preferred color of choice. She sat on the overcoat she had lain down on the earth and immediately the kitten snuggled up against her thigh shivering ever so slightly. Silore smiled at her and stared back out at the moon and over the lake with an obvious sadness penetrating the peaceful night. She spoke to the cat, as she stroked its fur absentmindedly “It’s come at last Kyrula… the time of our failing.” Silore wrapped her arms tightly around her form and continued. “You must have known… I’m sure that’s why you ran. I knew when they said you had shed your holy priestess light to take on the form of a rogue, that you were trying anything to right things...” She scoffed at the thought and continued, “As if you’d ever entertain the thought of resorting to thievery!” Kyrula looked up at Silore and made a noise deep in her throat, a mixture of purring and mewling. Silore resumed petting her and the kitten lowered its head once more, purring softly at her touch. “But then … I failed too Kyrula. I failed…” Silore looked back at the moon. She had spent many days crying over her failure, and while she shed no tears this night her heart was heavy with its burden of failure. Her one mission had been to bring the muse back to her… her being Caliope, her “sister” of sorts. Caliope was a human who was part of a battle being waged that was beyond her comprehension. She wore the robes of a paladin, and had the heart of a muse. Tormented she ran daily from a silent assassin who’s only joy was to torment her. Caliope’s initial mission, had been one from her father to bring more of “Valiant Heart” to their home of Skye after they had narrowly won a battle waged by the Orcs in allegiance with the undead. Her task had begun then and seemed relatively easy enough, but soon another evil came about setting a string of torments at Caliope causing her to go in hiding. Caliope suffered delusions of sorts and in a daze of madness threw herself off the waterfalls near Darnassus hoping to remove the thing that she thought the evil had been after… her muse; her light. Kyrula had been there that day when she wore the robe of priestess. She ran to Caliope in an attempt to save her, even leaping off the waterfall behind her praying her enchants and shielding them as best she could. She had saved Caliope’s life that day, but Caliope had lost her inner light returning to Kyrula’s arms as a mere mortal without the protection of her muse. Silore contemplated the events that had shattered a complete family unit and sundered their walk on the path of light. Blinking slowly she recounted the aftermath of which she had been present. Kyrula suffered hardest the first fall of depression. Realizing she couldn’t bring Caliope’s light back, Kyrula turned her back on the light that had not been able to save her sister. Most thought her turning to the ways of a thief was in rebellion to those of the cathedral. But Silore knew differently. No one knew what tormenter Caliope had after her. Only the sisters knew the truth. Even Caliope was unaware of just “who” Agas really was. It was because of WHO she was that they had all been dispatched to protect her. Atropo the hunter full of wrath had come with her arrows raining down on those she thought meant Caliope harm. Kyrula had worn her light as her shield wielding it as the flawless weapon causing dark agents with assassination attempts at mind to be thwarted before they even arrived. It was after Caliope had been taken by Agas that Kyrula had shunned the light she swore to wield. She had been doing some work for the S1:7 group out of Stormwind when she had gone “missing”. No one knew where she had gone, except for Silore. Silore looked down at the sleeping kitten and smiled. “And then there’s me” Silore muttered softly as she gazed back at the moon. Silore had come from a long line of Druid transformers…shape shifters if you will. Her humble beginnings were as the Forest Sprite/Half Elf known as Adytaen. She had fled from her home after darkness had come and her clan had been massacred leaving her alone. She had discovered quite accidentally through her travels, a brother of Night Elf descent that she had never known of. Through his urgings and the love of her newfound family, that welcomed her right form the start, she was reborn as the night elf Silore. Her name was given to her by the clan’s sage who spoke of a “Bright, true heart, with a magical gift”. This gift was not to be bestowed upon her until her “awakening”. Then she discovered her true purpose. The awakening is a ritual in which the young night elf gains the power of transformation. It is an awakening of the ancestral spirit that resides in us, bringing us in tune with nature and all her forms. Sometimes it is said that in awakenings of the past, a carrier has been shown. This carrier was one of great strength, heart and light. They were destined to be the chosen ones carrying this gift to the warrior fallen. The warrior fallen is a warrior as prophecy tells it, carrying the burden of maintaining the balance of dark and light. They are the pinnacle of that battle and the ones, the ONLY ones typically that are able to sway the balance and right things again. As she had been educated before her awakening, the sage thought she might be a carrier “because you shine youngling”. Silore remembered her words and how they filled her with fear. She was no warrior. True she was nimble and able to move about fluidly, filled with love for others, and a fire of wrath when others were wronged, but a carrier of light…she was not. She barely even knew her own light let alone knew enough to carry it for another. The day of her awakening had come and gone, and while she was bound to nature now with her new forms, she had not been seen as the carrier. She had been grateful. Shortly after her awakening however, she happened across a woman in Darnassus of human decent. She had bumped into her as the woman ran right into her, not watching where she had been going. She had looked frightened; her eyes almost haunted for the few seconds Dilore had seen them. She helped her to her feet and in that moment as they touched, Silore knew what haunted her. The woman had run away, glancing back at her but disappearing into the velvet night. That night as Silore slept, the sage came and woke her. Silore closed her eyes to the memory “Your time is here child.” The sage spoke to her in whispers. Rubbing her tired eyes she sat up slightly in bed “What?” “You are chosen Silore and it is your destiny to carry the gift to the warrior in need” The sage smiled at her and continued “You walk a quiet path now marred only by life’s bumps. You will soon be walking a solitary path full of dangers but also a path of great honor”. Silore had begrudgingly taken the task and set about the training she needed to carry the light to this paladin Caliope. She owed that much to those of her new family who had taken her in and treated her as royalty. She would not fail them, even if she was afraid. “But I did fail didn’t I Kyrula” Silore whispered to herself as an owl nearby began to cry fluttering it’s wings flying off into the distance. She had found the woman named Caliope in the city of Stormwind. Caliope had been advised by her protector Atropo that Silore was coming; that she had a gift for her. Caliope had run from her from that moment on. She always dodging her, just as Silore ran into the scene moments too late. Caliope had refused to take the light back, believing mistakenly that this was what Agas was after. Soon, without the protection of the light, Caliope faltered and Agas captured her. Silore ran into the park in Stormwind to watch the back of Caliope as she marched out of the moon pool bathed in a greenish light. Agas looked back at Silore cackling, shooting frost bolts at her freezing her in her tracks. Every attempt she could make to save her was thwarted and finally Silore crumpled to the ground crying as they winked out of sight in a portal bound for somewhere unknown. Silore opened her eyes again, in the present, and tears shimmered in them. Under the ever watchful gaze of the moon she relived her time since then alone. It is rumored now that Caliope occasionally appears wandering the streets of Stormwind, even the forests of Elwynn. Some say that she is just fine, and others report a strange light in her eyes. A scattered few have seen her and even as they called her name, not been acknowledged by her as she ran to and fro running errands. Still, only a few people had gotten Caliope alone long enough to learn that she breaks free from Agas, but lacks the power to stay free. Always in the end she returns, a tormented soul in captivity by an evil spirit bent on revenge. Silore sighed, and stood up slowly stretching her aching muscles. She had swum hard tonight. She had much preparing to do. She intended to swim the great sea if necessary to reach the horde lands. She had failed her family once, being the carrier of this light for this paladin. She wouldn’t fail them again, and so while she waited for the time, she practiced. Every night she swam, ran, and sharpened her skills. She had even met with a few people of Stormwind and joined forces with them in the “Battleground”, a place where you fought horde in a neutral area in a test of might. She was weak, but growing stronger. Soon she would be ready. Now, in her time of growth she had found Akroma, the leader of the Angels of Wrath Clan. Or rather Atropo had found Akroma. After a brief discussion with Akroma, Atropo had decided that if Silore were to attempt anything to help Caliope again, she would need to be there where she could work quietly unseen. She met up with Silore and told her matter of factly “You will thrive there… go… now”. Silore listened to Atropo with tears in her eyes. She didn’t want to leave the Valiant Knights because she felt she could keep better tabs on Caliope there, but Atropo knew best and sometimes knew when Agas would strike again, so she hadn’t hesitated to go. She bent down to pick up her belongings to trek back to the inn where she would sleep. “Come Kyrula, they allow pets there” Silore smiled at the cat who sleepily gazed at her, its eyes knowing far more than anyone could comprehend. Silore scooped her up and wrapped the kitten in her overcoat and walked slowly out of the lake area she had been in, towards the gates of Stormwind and the inn where tonight no demons, only dreams awaited her… Category:Warcraft Skye RP